


Beautiful Art Deserves a Beautiful Canvas

by vxllanelle1



Category: Killing Eve (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon is really so bad that I've started writing AUs, Eventual Smut, F/F, Lingerie Boutique Owner!Villanelle, MI5!Eve, of course
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2020-11-25 23:37:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 15,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20920532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vxllanelle1/pseuds/vxllanelle1
Summary: Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends!
> 
> So this is my first AU that I've written since I was like 15, so please be nice because I normally like to stick with canon, as shitty as canon may be (thanks EmFen)
> 
> I hope you like it! Any prompts or questions can go to my Twitter or Curiouscat, @vxllanelle1 for both

Eve Polastri had never been one for extravagance.

Elena had once joked that her comfort zone was her best friend. Eve laughed it off, but she couldn’t deny the truth and reality to that statement stung a little, hit her with a little dose of reality she didn't want to acknowledge.

Her modesty was once an admirable feature when she was younger. Instead of spending her weekends and evenings out drinking away her hard-earned money like every other twenty-something she knew, she opted for a quiet night in with a glass of wine and a good book. She exuded stability and security. Some people liked that. Sure, she had her interests and her quirks, who doesn’t? But she usually restricted those to the safety of her study, away from prying eyes.

When this feature, this security blanket she had woven for herself, began to become more of a hindrance than a blessing, she wasn’t sure how to handle it.

Her life with Niko had been a relatively pleasant one. They would host friends for dinner occasionally, spend a couple of evenings a week at the bridge club and always come home to some bad reality TV and a home cooked meal, usually served by Niko.

Over the last few years, however, things had shifted.

It started small. They maintained their normal life, there were just a few infrequent changes. Niko going out with his friends a little more often, making small impulsive purchases, trying to get Eve to throw off her routine and try something new.

And with that came the fighting. The arguments over money, over their relationship, over their sex life. Eve had hoped it was a phase. It’d be a few weeks, and all would be forgotten.

“So, how’re things with Niko?”

The voice dragged Eve’s attention away from her computer screen. Her eyes flicked up to see Elena’s slender figure present behind Eve’s chair.

“I mean, I don’t think there’s much to tell.” She replied, turning her chair to give the woman her full attention.

“So… Is that a ‘yes I need to set up my spare bedroom’ or a ‘no’?” Elena asked, half joking. However, Eve could tell there was some genuine concern laced into her question.

“I’m sure it won’t come to that,” Eve replied, eyes dragging down. “Again.”

Their arguing had gotten to the point where Eve had found herself on Elena’s doorstep with an overnight bag in her hand, eyes full of tears and a heart full of sorrow just last weekend.

It only took a day for Niko to appear, false apologies and requests to come home falling from his mouth as soon as Eve came to the door.

He said they’d work on their relationship.

It wouldn’t work. Eve knew this, they’d tried to work on it before but there was never any commitment to the changes they both needed.

“I think he might be bored of me.” Eve told her after a moment of awkward silence.

Elena didn’t respond. She didn’t need to; her silence was enough of an answer for Eve.

“Or I think we’ve just grown into different people and neither of us are really willing to compromise on who we are for the other person.”

Elena just nodded. Eve knew she didn’t want to agree, but she could see on her face that she did.

“Well, the spare bedroom is always free for you if you need it.”

Elena turned to move back to her desk, pausing for a moment before throwing a glance back to Eve.

“Will you tell me what he said to you yet?” She asked. At the time, Eve wouldn’t tell her the words that lead to her showing up on Elena’s doorstep in tears. But Elena knew it wasn’t the right time to push it.

Eve paused to consider for a moment before shaking her head and turning back to her computer. “It’s nothing important, I promise.”

Eve took the long way home that evening, opting to get the tube from a different station so she had the opportunity to wander through London. It was a feeble attempt to clear her head, but she didn’t know what else to do.

She didn’t want to leave Niko. She didn’t know if she could. Niko was safe, that’s what she had always been about. But they had seemingly reached an impasse. She knew that something, or someone, would have to give. Her head was overwhelmed by a mess of too many thoughts and possibilities. Nothing made sense anymore.

As Eve dodged through the streets of tourists and commuters, something caught her eye and drew her away from the internal conflict. She stopped, much to the dismay of those pushing past her.

Her eyes scanned over the parade of shops sitting parallel to where Eve stood. They were pretty high end, so Eve had never really thrown them much attention until now.

She waited for the busy traffic to die down a little before she crossed over to the shops. Her eyes glanced over the window in front of her.

The large panes of glass protected the mannequins behind them, all of which were decked out in stunning, elegant pieces of underwear and lingerie.

Eve’s breath caught in her throat as she took in the sight of the delicately crafted pieces of clothing.

They looked too good to wear. They looked too good for Eve to wear. She could never do those designs justice. Beautiful art deserves a beautiful canvas.

Atop the window was the name, written in a dark red hue on a black backdrop.

_La Villanelle Lingerie Boutique._

Her eyes looked over the lettering before they were brought back down to the window.

She caught the glance of someone inside. The woman flashed a soft, understanding smile towards Eve, which only caused her cheeks to redden and her eyes to shoot down in order to break the contact.

Eve panicked, stumbling away from the window and down the street towards the tube stop.

Her face was still flushed red and she was still carrying the feeling that she had been caught doing something she shouldn’t have. As she reached the stairs to the underground, she paused.

Niko’s words rang in her ears.

The feelings of embarrassment and shame soon subsided to be replaced with a heavy feeling of sadness and dejection.

She looked back, just about able to see the outline of the boutique in the distance.

Eve considered for a moment. She could go in for a look, to see what they had. Maybe it would help things at home? Maybe it would help with Niko? Or maybe she'd try something on and see exactly what he saw.

With a heavy heart, she re-joined the flock of commuters.

Not today.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Twitter/curiouscat: vxllanelle1
> 
> I hope y’all know how pretty/handsome you are ✨

It had been just over a week since Eve has stumbled upon her newest little discovery. Over the week, Eve’s mind had begun to wander.

Every morning, while getting dressed, she would picture herself in the exquisite little numbers she saw in the shop window that day.

It brought out a range of emotions. Some days, she yearned for the faux confidence the pieces of material could impart in her. Other days brought sadness as she tried to mash together the images of her body with the clothes and how it just wouldn’t look _right._

Other days, she wondered of the girl in the window. Was she the owner? How did she get into that line of work? How did she feel about her body? What sort of underwear did she wear?

But not in a weird way.

Life with Niko was steady, but not improving. She could tell he often had to grit his teeth at some things Eve would say or do, but they had managed to maintain their routine without any further blowouts thus far. It may have only been a week, but they hadn't gone more than a week without a fight in months.

They still had sex, but Eve could tell it was because Niko needed to feign some interest in the act. Whether he was feigning that interest for her or for himself, she wasn’t quite sure.

Eve hadn’t taken a detour home since the first time. It was strange, but she didn’t feel like she could face the inanimate building she had previously come across. It was almost like she feared it, like she didn’t have the confidence to face it.

She only came across the store front after meeting Elena for coffee. On their saunter back towards the tube, the familiar parade of shops made itself apparent again.

Eve couldn’t look away. She was at too great of a distance to really make out any details in the window, but it didn’t stop her from trying.

“Oh, I’ve heard about that place!” Elena beamed, only noticing Eve’s attention was elsewhere when Eve didn’t respond to a question she had asked.

“I’m pretty sure it was Carolyn who mentioned it, when she was telling us one of those stories we really didn’t need to hear.” Elena’s laugh was light-hearted and cheerful, a stark contrast to the anxiety and dread Eve had bubbling away internally.

She knew it was ridiculous, it wasn’t like going in there would harm her in any way.

She just wasn’t sure she was ready to deal with the possibility of being presented one of the most beautiful things she had laid eyes on and just having it look wrong on her.

She feared that, instead of the garments making her body look beautiful, her body would make them look ugly.

“We should go have a look, get an idea what Carolyn is wearing under her fifty shades of designer beige.” Before Eve even had the chance to protest, she felt her arm being tugged at. She followed Elena across the street and back to the familiar store front.

Elena swanned in with absolute ease, while Eve trailed a few nervous paces behind.

The interior of the shop was plush and warm. The lighting was slightly dim to emphasise the seductive atmosphere, but still bright enough that Eve’s eyes could curiously flick around the shop and its features.

The shop was of a decent size, definitely looking bigger on the inside than the store front gave credit for. The walls were plastered with a dark burgundy wallpaper with a few small pieces of art hung for decoration. The pieces varied, from picturesque landscapes to real-life portraits of women wearing little-to-no clothing. Yet they all seemed to fit the setting.

The floor was a light brown hardwood and atop it proudly stood while tables and drawers, which held various pieces of underwear and lingerie in a plethora of sizes, colours and designs.

In addition to this, there were a couple of plush chairs as well as a chaise lounge and a few mirrors fixed to the walls. The fitting rooms could be seen towards the back, with the entrance being right next to the cash register where a girl, the same one from the previous week, stood attentively.

She looked young, probably mid-twenties or so. Her skin was pale and delicate, with her sharp features being highlighted both by the lighting and the thin veil of makeup she wore. Her lips curled into a small smile and her eyes seemed attending and bright. Her hair, honey blonde in hue, was down, wavy in texture and fell just past her shoulders.

She bore a simple pair of gold stud earrings, with a necklace to match. She wore dark grey jeans, stylish black boots and a sheer black button up blouse tucked into her jeans, with its only other feature being the nametag, which simply read ‘Villanelle’.

“Hi ladies.” She chimed as they both passed through the doorway. There was a hint of an accent, which Eve pinned to be Slavic. Maybe Russian?

Elena responded with a polite hello as Eve was still busy trying to take in her surroundings. Elena and the woman conversed for a few moments as Eve’s eyes took in the delicate garments laid before her.

She had never been one for something like this. Eve was an incredibly practical person, clothes were clothes. If they didn’t look awful, she never really saw the need to wear something like this.

Niko’s words rang through Eve’s ears again. She stilled herself and gripped at the table, eyes slipping closed momentarily.

This could help. This could be what he wanted.

She just needed courage. The courage to try something new, to see if it would work, to face the possibility that it might not work.

Her hands gripped the table a little tighter as she attempted to soothe the anxieties she could feel bubbling away in the pit of her stomach.

Just as she had a moment of impulsive recklessness, her question on what sizes they carried was halted by a loud call of ‘Eve?!’ coming from the fitting rooms towards the back.

Eve turned back to look around, startled at how much time must have passed while she was stuck in her thoughts. Elena’s voice boomed from the other room once more. “What do you think about this colour?”

They left twenty minutes later with Elena being nearly £150 poorer. She made an effort to emphasise that it was worth it, and it was important self-care. Whether she was convincing herself or Eve of that, Eve wasn’t entirely sure.

“Come back again soon.” Villanelle hummed after she had finished ringing up Elena’s purchase. She slipped a business card into Elena’s bag before handing one directly to Eve. She knew she was interested, clearly.

“My heart says ‘of course’, my bank account says, ‘absolutely not’.” Elena joked as she grabbed the bag and turned to Eve. “Get me out of here before I spend my rent money on more pretty things.”

Villanelle giggled, eyes flicking over Eve as she watched the pair march back through the doorway and onto the street.

Eve paused for a moment after they got outside while Elena stormed off ahead none the wiser.

She could do it. She’d proven she could.

She could go back in there and face the possibility of not finding anything that suits her. She could give it a try and try to fix some of the problems she had created. She could get over the initial embarrassment. She could-

“Eve!”

Eve snapped round to see Elena up the street, beckoning her to follow on. “Come on!”

She rushed up to the other woman.

Not today.


	3. Chapter 3

“What do you think of my clothes?”

The question caught Niko’s attention, head snapping up, so his eyes met Eve’s curious stare from across the dinner table.

“I… Hm, that’s a loaded question.” He attention turned back to the plate beneath him, picking at the contents with his fork in silence while Eve waited for an answer, an answer she knew he was hesitant to give.

“No, I’m serious.” Eve pushed, trying to keep her tone light-hearted to minimise any fears that she may be offended by his answer. She would be, but she could pretend like she didn’t care to get him to be honest.

She could see Niko consider his words for a moment before his eyes grabbed her attention once again. “I think they’re very… You. If that makes any sense.” Niko replied, another forkful of some dish he’d thrown into a slow cooker before work finding its way into his mouth. “Is that what you wanted to hear, sweetheart?” He asked innocently, though Eve picked up on the hint of condescension at the name.

“In what way? How are they me?” Eve pushed again, trying to feign some interest in her food like Niko was doing to give the impression she wasn’t as invested in the topic as she was.

“I mean, you make them work.” Niko replied, missing the small grimace that accidentally made itself apparent across Eve’s expression.

“What, is there something wrong with them? Are they not supposed to work?” Eve asked, her up-beat tone faltering.

“C’mon, that’s not what I said. You know that’s not what I mean.” Niko jested, not paying much attention to Eve’s response. Whether he knew he’d upset her or not, Eve couldn’t tell.

“So, what did you mean? About how I make them work?”

“It’s not that, I mean think about all the people you interact with in your day. How many of them dress like you? How many people do you think would look good in your clothes?”

“Are you… Saying the way I dress is ugly? Or in a way that would make the general population look ugly?” Any attempt at hiding her feelings was long forgotten as her head ceased paying attention to her planned response and allowed her emotions to take over.

“That’s not what I said-“

“How do you think that makes me feel? Hearing you say I dress in a way that makes everyone else look ugly? What does that mean for me?” Eve asked, the hurt now evident on her face as well as in her voice.

“God, why do we always end up back here?” Niko asked, rising from the table. “Why do you constantly have to push more and more until you start asking questions you _know_ you’re not gonna like the answer to?!”

His voice was raised by this point as his eyes stared Eve down.

Eve wouldn’t back down; not this time.

She was tired of conceding for the sake of avoiding conflict and always being the timid one. She held his gaze for a few moments that felt like hours to the woman. Without a word, he left the room.

So much for being steady.

“How’re things with Niko?”

Eve dreaded the question. Every other day or so Elena would come and ask her at her desk about their relationship. Any excuse to get out of working for a little while.

“Same as always.” Eve answered flatly, eyes fixed on the computer before her in an attempt to not engage Elena on the topic.

“Really? Cause you’ve been extra cranky today so that either means a bad fight or _really _bad sex.” At that, Eve’s head snapped round to glance over the figure coolly leaning against her desk.

“That’s a bold assumption to make.” Eve told her, seeing Elena shrug it off irritatingly easily.

“Oh, I can read you like a book, Eve.” Elena told her with overwhelming confidence that made Eve almost roll her eyes. “You’re usually on another level of frustrated when it’s really bad sex.”

Eve finally turned her chair to finally give Elena the attention she’d been vying for, crossing her arms over her chest. “Okay, smartass. Tell me when the last time I had really bad sex was.”

Elena pondered for a moment, glancing over to a calendar on the wall in the office to help her work things out. “Uhh, three days ago if I remember rightly.”

Eve could have laughed if she wasn’t in such a bad mood. She wasn’t sure of the exact date, but she knew it was probably closer to three weeks than three days. “If you say so.”

“I know so.” Elena grinned, with Eve now finding her confidence humorous rather than irksome. “Are you coming out for Bill’s birthday drinks tonight?”

“Shit,” Eve sighed, brushing her hair back. “I completely forgot, I didn’t bring a change of clothes or anything.”

“Sounds about right. You’re also more forgetful after a fight as opposed to when you just have really bad sex.”

Eve did roll her eyes this time, though now it was because her faux confidence was becoming a new form of arrogance for Elena. “Let me run home after work and grab some clothes and then I’ll come find you guys.”

“Don’t get too caught up in your home life while you’re there, don't bail on us for bad make up sex.” She giggled, standing from the desk and leaving Eve to herself.

She could have really done without this. If anything, her and Niko just needed another evening to sit down and talk out what wasn’t working. To try and come to yet another compromise and give things yet another try for the sake of their marriage.

But if Niko was going to be absent, why should she stick around waiting for him? Niko had barely spoken a word to Eve that morning, just like he had been doing for the past couple of weeks since their first fight.

But this morning, he’d given Eve the privilege of saying three sweet words to her just as he was leaving.

“Going out tonight.”

Nothing else. No other details, no idea of who or what or where. Nothing.

How thoughtful.

Eve sighed as the events of the morning played back in her mind while she dodged the other people heading for the underground station. She needed to clear her head, she needed a walk to get these thoughts out of her head before she lost her inhibitions after a drink or two and said something she’d _really _regret to Niko.

As Eve was walking, the little shop caught Eve’s eye once again.

She didn’t stop this time. Didn't stop to think and consider, just crossed to the parade of shops on a whim.

Maybe on instinct. Maybe out of desperation.

She didn’t know and didn’t care. She needed something to improve her situation. She couldn’t deal with the stresses of their relationship much longer, it overwhelmed her and just made her want to escape. She needed something to make it better and she'd try anything.

As she reached the outside of the shop front, she paused. Her eyes remained fixed on the door as those doubts and insecurities crept back into her mind.

Any doubts floating through her mind were soon pushed aside by the rising anxiety she felt in the back of her throat and the words of her husband playing through her ears on repeat.

She couldn’t back down. Not today.

Her hand met the wood of the door and she pushed it open.


	4. Chapter 4

“Hi, welcome!”

The voice was awfully chipper for a dreary Thursday afternoon in central London. It did nothing to calm Eve’s nerves.

The woman positioned behind the cash register was the same woman that caught Eve’s glance before, as well as the one who served Elena on their trip back to the store.

Eve noted she was very attractive. Not with any lingering jealousy, just an observation. The sleek black uniform complimented her figure well and her hair was tied back neatly to display her pristine facial features like delicate art pieces.

The high cheekbones, the piercing eyes, her blushed lips, they all stood out against her porcelain skin. She seemed both distant and vaguely threatening at the same time, almost like she was hiding another side to her.

“How may I help you today?”

The words drew Eve away from her internal analysis of the woman’s face, bringing her to the realisation she’d been staring at the woman for a solid thirty seconds. A blush spread across her cheeks at the thought.

“Oh, I uh- I just came in to have a look around.” Eve tried, eyes hitting the floor as she spoke.

Unlike when she visited with Elena, there were no other staff or customers around. It made the atmosphere a lot calmer, but also a lot more intimate. It intimidated Eve a little, but also made her more comfortable.

Villanelle nodded at the words, leaning against the desk casually to lighten the mood. “Were you looking for anything specific or just wanting to browse? We’ve got some beautiful new pieces in from a few local designers if you’d like to see them.”

“Oh, no I don’t-“ Eve had to pause to think about how to phrase her thoughts. Saying ‘I don’t think I’m pretty enough for that’ probably wouldn’t go down well with the overly-cheery-for-a-Thursday-afternoon shop assistant. “I don’t think that’s quite my style. But thank you.”

Villanelle nodded understandingly, eyes scanning over Eve before she glanced over to the collection of lingerie littering the interior of the store. “Well, what would you say your style is? We’ve got plenty to choose from.”

Eve’s eyes found their way back up to the figure before her as she moved across the shop floor to a cobalt blue bra which was displayed atop a drawer by the wall, with varying sizes being contained in the drawers below the display model. “I think this colour would suit your complexion perfectly. Is this your kinda style?”

The bra in Villanelle’s hands spoke loudly of simplistic beauty. It was a bright, but not garish shade of blue. It was padded and opaque with a layer of delicately woven lace flowers to decorate the main material.

“It’s a Stella McCartney piece. Push up, but you could always remove the extra padding if you wanted to.” Villanelle explained its features and style with such ease. Meanwhile, Eve was trying her best to hold back the blush attempting to spread across her cheeks.

“It’s really beautiful.” Eve breathed as she took a couple of steps towards the woman. Her hand came up and the material found itself between Eve’s fingers. “It feels nice. Comfortable.”

“Oh yeah, she always makes everything incredibly comfy. I can vouch for that.”

The thought of the woman wearing something like this flashed through Eve’s mind. It surprised her, but she tried to ignore it. She didn’t need to be feeling anymore shame for being here.

“Would you like to try one on? I can see if we have your size, we have matching underwear too.” Villanelle asked, voice light with a fresh hint of curiosity.

Eve considered before a shy nod confirmed her desires.

Then it hit her. The familiar anxiety that always seemed to hit Eve when she was presented with something beautiful that she could ruin, intentionally or not. The courage she had worked up to enter the shop had dwindled. She didn’t have enough left to face the fact that something so beautiful couldn’t make her look beautiful.

“Actually, I’m kind of in a hurry. I’m meeting some friends for drinks.” Eve explained, mostly calm since it wasn’t a complete lie. “Could I just uh… Get it now to take home with me? I can try it when I have more time.”

Villanelle nodded at the request, a little phased by Eve’s sudden change in attitude. “Well, if you need to return it just keep the receipt and keep the tags attached.” She told Eve as she let Eve pick out her sizes. “The girls generally leave at around five, so it’s just me until we close at eight, since we usually have next to no customers.” She told Eve, noticing how much more comfortable the woman was when she was alone in the store.

Villanelle took the pieces over to the cash register and wrapped the items delicately in tissue paper, sealing it closed with a couple of stickers of the store’s logo. She placed them into a bag as Eve paid, trying to ignore the number on the card machine as she hesitantly typed in her pin.

“I hope you have a good evening,” she hummed as she placed Eve’s receipt in the bag. “Come back any time.” Villanelle said, extending the invitation knowing that it was very likely she’d never see Eve again.

Eve just nodded at the words, smiling shyly at the woman’s comforting voice and demure smile. “Thank you, enjoy your day.” Eve murmured as she moved to leave the store without looking back.

As she got outside, she checked her watch and-

“Shit!”

Rushed across back to the underground station. She felt the handles of the bag tug at her fingers as she moved. It felt like she was carrying a small victory in her hand.

She smiled, enjoying the confidence while it lasted. She knew it wouldn’t be for long.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the words of a wise being:
> 
> 'Joy to the world, be horny on main'
> 
> Merry Christmas everyone!

It didn’t take Eve long to make it home, thanks to some very impressive speed walking in her office high heels.

With Niko staying behind at school that evening, the house was still. Or, it had been until Eve came stumbling through the doors like a tranquillised bull. She kicked off her shoes before making her way up to the bedroom in a frenzy.

Once here, her bags were discarded onto the bed before she began rummaging through her drawers for an appropriate outfit for the evening. Her hands clawed through the folded fabric in the drawers until she managed to find a dress, simple yet flattering, that she figured would be appropriate.

Moving across the room, Eve stood in front of the full-length mirror and began to undress, tossing her work clothes carelessly into the nearby laundry hamper, figuring she’d sort them later.

As she began to drag the dress over her skin and curves, her eyes caught on something behind her in the mirror. In her hurry to get home, she’d forgotten about the little bag. It had only just hit her what she’d done, what she had.

She paused, allowing herself to process the sight before she turned to look over to the bag on the bed.

Taking a couple of steps closer, she took the bag into her hands and looked over the logo. It was sleek and stylish, as were the contents. Everything Eve felt she wasn’t.

She sighed, placing the item down before zipping her dress and throwing on a pair of shoes. She could afford to be a little late.

“Hey,” Eve began, catching Villanelle just as she was locking up the front door to the boutique. Villanelle’s expression tried to remain neutral, but the surprise was evident. “I’m sorry, I know you’re just closing, but I was wondering if I could bring these back really quick?”

“Oh,” Villanelle hummed. She wasn’t disappointed or upset, more surprised. “Of course, if you need to.” She told Eve, unlocking the door and stepping inside with Eve. “Was everything alright with them? Is there a problem?”

“Oh, no it was fine. They just didn’t quite fit right.” Eve told the girl as she placed the bag back onto the counter by the till.

Villanelle lifted the contents out of the bag, still delicately wrapped in tissue paper with the edges affixed with stickers and small pieces of tapes. No rips or tears.

“This… Doesn’t even look like it’s been opened?” Villanelle commented, eyes flicking up to see a blush paint Eve’s cheeks. She’d been caught out.

There was an uncomfortable pause as Villanelle moved the bag onto the floor and leaned against the counter to make eye contact with Eve. “Is there something wrong?”

“No, no I-“ Eve began, becoming more flustered with each word. “There’s nothing wrong, I… I just don’t think it’s really for me.”

“How do you know if you haven’t tried it?” Villanelle asked, her tone soft and understanding. “I’m not trying to push you; you’re welcome to return anything you don’t want or need. But you seemed so eager earlier. It feels like there’s something else going on.”

“I mean… I’m not really supposed to wear stuff like this.”

Villanelle’s brows furrowed at the comment, a little bemused by Eve’s attitude. “You’re not supposed to wear… Underwear?” She giggled, attempting to lighten the mood as she could see Eve was struggling.

“I mean, not like the ones I bought.” Eve replied, eyes finally making their way up to meet Villanelle’s. “It’s so gorgeous and delicate. It seems like it would be wasted on me, y’know?”

“How so?” Villanelle asked, her features soft and her tone remaining neutral and gentle.

Eve shrugged. “I mean, it’s not like anyone’s really gonna see it, so what’s the point in me having it?”

“Who says you should wear something like this for someone else?” Villanelle tried, causing Eve to look up and cock her head to the side a little curiously. “Who says you can’t just wear something pretty for yourself?”

Eve moved to sit on one of the chaise lounges which was situated next to the changing room, beginning to feel a little more at ease in the conversation. “Still, it just wouldn’t look right on me.”

Eve could see Villanelle’s confusion, so she continued. “There was this phrase I heard a while ago, something like… Beautiful art deserves a beautiful canvas.”

Eve took a moment to pause, trying to categorise her thoughts in a way that could be understood. “It means that something beautiful deserves to be paired with something equally, if not more, beautiful. I mean, you wouldn’t paint a masterpiece on a piece of cardboard, would you?”

Villanelle nodded as she listened, just wanting to understand Eve’s point of view. “So, in this situation, you are… Cardboard? Or, rather, you’re the canvas? And the lingerie is this masterful piece of art?”

Eve nodded. Villanelle didn’t say anything to that initially, seeming to just get lost in thought. “Does that make sense?” Eve asked.

“Oh yeah, it makes perfect sense.” Villanelle replied, eyes coming back up to meet Eve’s. “We just have very different ways of thinking.”

“How so?” Eve pried.

“Well, I guess I kind of think of it the other way around.” Villanelle began. “Or, rather, lingerie doesn’t make you beautiful, it emphasises beauty that’s already there. In my mind, you are the art, clothes are the canvas.”

There was a pause and Eve took a moment to consider Villanelle’s point before she continued.

“They don’t make you beautiful, they just add to it. At the end of the day, a painting done on cardboard will still look beautiful, just like how you’ll still look beautiful regardless of what you wear. But when you paint on a canvas, or when you wear something beautiful, it emphasises the beauty.”

Eve nodded at that, eyes to the floor.

“Does that make sense?” Villanelle hummed, receiving another nod from Eve.

“It does, yeah. I just hadn’t thought of it that way.”

“That’s understandable.” Villanelle replied. “You learn how to think in this business. It’s an industry surrounded by so much insecurity and scrutiny that you need to learn to retrain your way of thinking in order to avoid getting hurt.”

Villanelle’s eyes caught on the bag behind the counter. “You didn’t actually try it on, did you?”

Eve shook her head.

“I’m not one to pressure others, there’s already enough of that in fashion and designing. But, would you just try it on once?” Villanelle continued when Eve didn’t respond. “If you still don’t like it, you can return it. But I think it would be good for you. I think you’ll like it more than you expect.”

Eve shrugged at that, turning to face Villanelle. “I’m a little… I don’t know, apprehensive? Scared? Scared that I’ll put it on and just look wrong.”

Villanelle rose from where he was seated and grabbed the bag, handing it back to Eve. “I don’t think that’s possible, there’s no wrong when it comes to making yourself look and feel good.”

Encouraged by Villanelle’s warm smile, Eve stood and hesitantly made her way into the changing area. Villanelle stood outside, hearing a few rustlings before a minute of quiet.

“Does it fit okay? I can get you another size if you need one.” She tried, unsure of how else to break the silence.

“No, it’s… It fits okay.” Eve replied, her tone not giving away much.

There was another moment of silence. “What do you think? Do you like it?”

No response. Tensions was thick in the air and the lack of response from Eve only made it worse. Villanelle never felt this on edge with clients, she had nothing at stake here. So why was she so apprehensive around this woman?

“Eve?” The word came out a little broken, but Villanelle didn’t care to notice.

A thin crease of light broke as the door began to open, revealing Eve stood there in nothing but the lingerie set she had bought earlier.

Villanelle could usually tell if people were feeling a little more confident or insecure from being so exposed. But not Eve. She was unreadable, she couldn’t pick up on anything.

“Oh,” Villanelle sighed accidentally, trying to compose herself enough to focus on Eve. “Oh, your strap could do with tightening a little, let me fix that.” She mumbled, trying to hide her… She wasn’t sure what this was. She never usually felt like this when dealing with other clients.

Eve turned to face the mirror and Villanelle’s fingers fiddled with the left strap of the bra. Villanelle caught a couple of glances at Eve in the mirror while she wasn’t looking. She knew it wasn’t appropriate, she knew that she shouldn’t. But she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the other woman.

“Do you think it looks good?” Eve asked, catching her eyes in the mirror. “In your professional opinion, at least.”

Villanelle smiled a little at that, taking a step back when she was finished. “I can’t really call myself much of a professional,” She began, keeping her eyes forward and on the mirror. “But I think it’s beautiful. I think the style and the colour suits you perfectly.”

Eve nodded at that, looking herself over once more. “I think I might keep it.” She hummed as she grabbed her dress and slipped it back on over the lingerie set.

A small smile found its way across Villanelle’s face at that helping Eve zip up her dress. “I’m glad, I told you that you’d like it.”

Eve gathered her things and left the shop with Villanelle, waiting as the woman locked up. “Thank you for that. I… I probably wouldn’t have kept it if it wasn’t for you, but I’m really glad I did.”

Villanelle shrugged at that, shoving the keys back into her pocket. “It’s what I’m here for. Are you… Going somewhere? You got a date or something?” She asked, nodding to the outfit Eve had put together before leaving.

“Oh, no. It’s just drinks for a friend’s birthday.” Eve replied, eyes coming back up to meet Villanelle’s. “Are you doing anything tonight?”

Villanelle shrugged at that. “Nothing exciting, I have some paperwork for the shop and a bottle of red wine at home so that’ll be my evening.”

Eve nodded at that, beginning to turn to leave with her eyes still fixed on Villanelle. “Well, I hope you enjoy your evening. And thank you again.”

“It’s nothing. Have a good evening, I’ll see you soon.” Villanelle told her, though the pair lingered by the door for a moment longer before finally separating.

Eve glanced back in Villanelle’s direction after walking a few paces, catching the other woman doing the same. Their eyes locked on each other for a moment, the tension still there, before Villanelle eventually broke the contact and turned away from Eve.

As Villanelle turned a corner, she took a moment to catch her breath and steady herself. What was this?


	6. Chapter 6

Villanelle loved her job. She really did, she never dreamed that one day she would wake up and be happy to go to work, day in, day out. It was a far cry from the shitty retail and call centre jobs that had started her career.

The one part of the job that would continually be void of any joy was always the paperwork. And there was a lot of it. Though, there was only a lot of it because Villanelle insisted on leaving it all until the last minute.

After Eve had left, Villanelle had wandered down the street to buy some food for the evening before making her way back to the store. She creeped to the back entrance of the property and let herself into the small, desolate stock room that occupied the rear of the building. After climbing the winding staircase to her left, it brought her up to her little home space in the loft of her store.

It wasn’t much, but it was cosy. After she had enough money to buy her store in full and it was hers to do with as she liked, so Villanelle began to begrudge paying rent on another building just so she had somewhere to sleep.

She flicked on the lights to see her dimly lit room. In the back-right corner was her double bed, covered in a dark blue silk sheet with more pillows than Villanelle would ever need. Her TV hung on the wall adjacent to the bed, along with a small shelf containing various photo frames and potted plants that she had accumulated over the years. The floor was wooden, as were the beams running across the pointed ceiling which Villanelle had hung fairy light to in order to add that little extra something to.

Towards the door-end of the room was the small kitchen space on the right, complete with a little breakfast bar and everything else needed in a kitchen, all in a sleek white finish to complement the dark navy-blue walls. Sitting opposite the kitchen was a small side room which contained the bathroom, which a very clever construction team had managed to fashion from the limited space.

Villanelle’s room was quite minimalist, bar the white rug in the middle of the room, a few larger plants which occupied some floor space, and a few photos and paintings she had hung up on her wall. But it allowed for the woman to make the room feel bigger than it was.

Villanelle placed the shopping she had just bought away into the kitchen before grabbing a bottle of red wine from the small free-standing wine rack in the kitchen and pouring herself a glass. She made her way over to her bed, where a small pile of papers was waiting for her. A sigh escaped into the room as her eyes scanned over the papers, placing the wine on her bedside table before turning on the TV for some background noise and littering the sheets across her bed.

Time blurred together for Villanelle, but she’d been attempting to work through these papers for three hours before they got the better of her. Villanelle pushed her hair back and let out a defeated huff, pausing for a moment before she piled the papers back up neatly and placed them on the bedside table to deal with another day.

Villanelle laid back on the bed and allowed her eyes to slip shut. She didn’t need sleep, just a moment to collect her thoughts.

She was stressed, very stressed. But it wasn’t easy running your own business, hence why she always ensured she made time for herself and gave herself a chance to unwind.

Her mind wandered, as it had a tendency to do. It was hard not to when you worked in Villanelle’s profession. She’d always keep it professional when she had to, but right now she didn’t have to.

She felt her hand trace down her stomach and flick open the button of her jeans, dragging down the zip before slipping under the waistband.

The softest huff escaped Villanelle’s mouth as her fingers were coated in her wetness, working back and forth over her clit.

It never took long when she was so pent up with stress. A few minutes and one or two thoughts of a one night stand she had a few months ago and she could already feel herself approaching her climax.

“Fuck,” she breathed into the empty room, her teeth sinking into her lower lip as she tried to maintain some composure and stop her hips from rolling forward into her hand.

And suddenly, there was Eve. The picture crystal clear in Villanelle’s mind, stood in her changing room with that beautiful lingerie set covering her glowing skin.

Villanelle gasped, her muscles tensing and mouth falling open as the image pushed her right over the edge. Her body relaxed against the bed after a moment and she took a second to catch her breath.

Villanelle was shocked. She didn’t want to think of Eve like that, she never intended to, it wasn’t right. But without warning, she was there. And it felt so good.

She sat up on the bed, a new wave of guilt settling over Villanelle’s conscience. That shouldn’t have happened, and she shouldn’t have let it happen.

Part of her hoped she wouldn’t have to face Eve again; she didn’t know if she had the guts to look the woman in the eye again.

Part of her hoped Eve would be back in again tomorrow.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stan Suzanne Heathcote and Laura Neal for clear skin
> 
> twitter/curiouscat: vxllanelle1

“Hey!”

The bright voice drew Villanelle’s attention away from the papers present on the desk before her. Eyes flicking upwards, they caught on Eve in the doorway.

“Oh, Eve.” Villanelle’s reaction to seeing the woman again laid somewhere between content and guilt. She was happy to see her, especially so soon. However, she was also reminded of the previous night. Of how she had been overthinking and pushing down these feeling the entire day before Eve’s arrival. She was confused. She wasn’t sure if seeing Eve would provide clarity additional confusion.

“Are you busy? I can leave if you want, I was just running in to say hi.”

“No, not at all.” Villanelle told her, collecting the sheets into a stack, and placing them aside. “It’s nothing I can’t do later.”

Eve proceeded forward towards the cash register. A warm smile made itself apparent among her soft facial features, with Villanelle noticing how gently her hair bounced with every movement Eve made. “I just thought I’d drop by on my way home from work, say thank you again for your encouragement yesterday.”

“You don’t have to thank me, it’s the least I can do.” Villanelle shrugged, a small grin appearing. “How was drinks last night? Did you go to work hungover?”

“It was a lot of fun,” Eve responded, taken aback. She’d forgotten what it was like to have someone remember the little things she had mentioned in passing and show an interest after the fact. “There was some questionable karaoke happen, but I avoided the hangover.”

“I hope there’s video evidence of this questionable karaoke.”

“God, I hope not.” They both smiled as Villanelle spotted a small blush painting Eve’s cheeks. “How was your day?”

Eve’s eyes came back up to meet Villanelle’s, smile widening. “It was okay, I got to see everyone else hungover.” Eve moved to lean against the cash register. “How about yours?”

“It’s been pretty slow. We had one of our regular guys in who always spends a lot. Though I’ve yet to workout if he’s buying the lingerie for his wife, his mistress, or himself.”

As Eve laughed at the sentiment, Villanelle felt her heart begin to swell. She was always a sucker for someone with a pretty smile and a nice laugh.

She found herself observing the woman in a way she hadn’t experienced before. Every detail became so apparent to Villanelle which only added to the fullness occupying her chest in that moment. The way her eyes crinkled as she smiled, how her curls fell and bounced with the movement of her body, the way her face lit up during conversation.

Something in Villanelle told her seeing Eve would only add more confusion to the situation, but in the moment she didn’t care.

“Anyway, I did bring you a small something to say thank you.” Eve opened her bag at that, pulling out a bottle of wine for Villanelle. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, I just remembered you saying you liked red wine.”

“That’s so sweet. You really didn’t have to do that.” Villanelle eyed up the woman for a moment before checking her watch. “The store’s due to close in about twenty minutes, would you like to join me for a glass?”

“Oh, I actually have plans tonight.” Eve replied, Villanelle being able to pick up genuine disappointment in her tone, which only spurred her on more.

“Well, I could always save it.” She continued, reaching out to take the bottle. “Come round another time and we can-“ Her words suddenly dissipated as Villanelle's gaze caught on the ring sitting on Eve’s finger. She didn’t have that last time, did she? “Uh, another time.” Villanelle said upon completely losing her train of thought.

“Yeah, of course.” Eve nodded, a little thrown by the reaction. “I should get going.” She told Villanelle, fearing she had done something wrong.

“Right, yeah, okay. I’ll see you soon.” She tried to play it off, but there was no doubting Villanelle's mood had deviated away from where it had been previously. Her eyes remained down as Eve left the shop, only looking back up once she heard the door close.

Her eyes stared blankly forward for a moment. Then found their way to the bottle of red wine perched on the counter.

A heavy sigh prompted Villanelle to bury her face in her hands, questioning whether she’d read Eve’s signs wrong or whether she was just overthinking the situation entirely. It hit her that those 'plans' were probably with that special someone else, causing a deep dejection to hit that she hadn't had to deal with in years.

Her head raised after a moment, followed by another sigh as she tried to process the reality of what she now knew.

Just push it all away.

***

“So how was your day?” Eve asked as her husband entered the living room.

“It was fine.” Niko answered, dropping his bag before moving into the kitchen. Silence followed, prompting Eve to return her attention to the TV. She shouldn't have expected him to return the question.

“Do you have anything planned for tea?” Niko asked from the kitchen, grabbing a drink from the fridge.

“Uh, not specifically. Why?”

“Some of the boys from work asked if I wanted to go out with them tonight so I said yes.” He told her, flashing her a grin as she sat beside her on the sofa.

“Oh,” Eve huffed, brows furrowing in confusion. “I thought we were gonna have a quiet night in together tonight?”

Niko returned the confused look as his head turned. “I thought that was tomorrow?”

“No, I said I had a work thing tomorrow so I couldn’t.”

There was an uncomfortable silence between the two for a moment, with Niko being the one to break it. “I mean, I can’t cancel on them again.”

Eve stood at that and proceeded into the kitchen without a word, going to the fridge to grab a drink as an excuse to leave to conversation.

“I already cancelled on them the other week when we had that argument.” She heard from the living room, taking a moment to compose herself before her eyes found something. A half empty bottle of white wine from dinner the other day. Then something clicked.

“No, it’s fine.” Eve called back to Niko, moving towards the living room with a shifted demeanor. “Really, it’s okay. I think some work friends are having a get together, I can just go see them tonight.” She explained. Any frustration that Niko had recognised in her previously had now depleted into nothing. It confused him, but he wasn’t about to question it.

“Oh. Okay.” He replied, not wanting to push it any further. “Uh, I hope you have a goodnight.” He told her as he watched the woman disappear up the stairs.

Eve didn’t take much notice of the words, instead grabbing her phone out of her pocket and moving into the bedroom. Once the door was closed, she grabbed the bag from the boutique and reached inside, pulling out a business card. She recognised it as a mobile number, so decided to take the chance that it might be Villanelle’s.

Her hands fumbled to get the phone open and punch in the string of numbers printed on the card. She dialled and pressed the device to her ear, waiting eagerly for the rings to break and a voice to come through.

“Hey,” Eve beamed upon hearing Villanelle’s voice on the other end. “It’s Eve, I hope you don’t mind me calling. Uh, my plans have changed a little bit. Are you still available for that drink?”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Twitter/curiouscat: vxllanelle1

“Shit.” Footsteps paced over the wooden floor as a figure rushed through the homey apartment. “Shit, shit, shit.” Villanelle huffed, tossing aside miscellaneous items she didn’t have time to put away properly.

At least worrying about the apartment stopped the overthinking about Eve momentarily, fully aware it wouldn’t be pushed away for long.

As she tugged the bed sheets taught, the phone buzzed from her bedside table. She scanned over the text from where she was positioned over the bed.

_ I’m outside. E _

Villanelle stood, eyes forward, and drew in a breath. She felt the fullness in her chest and held it for two seconds before exhaling. It didn’t do much to calm the nerves, but she could try.

She approached the winding staircase and proceeded downstairs, spotting the woman by the window as she dipped into the front of the store.

“Hey.” Villanelle greeted, opening the door and prompting Eve to come inside. “I wasn’t expecting this.”

“Yeah, some plans got moved around so I figured I’d see if you were still available.”

Eve followed Villanelle through to the stock room behind the cash desk, continuing up the stairs until the pair entered her apartment.

“I’m sorry if it’s a bit messy, I wasn’t expecting company.”

“No, no! Don’t be silly.” Eve replied, taking in the space while Villanelle disappeared into the kitchen area. “Did you design this place yourself?”

“Mostly, with the help of some friends.” Villanelle grabbed two wine glasses and the bottle Eve had brought earlier. “There isn’t much seating I’m afraid, I’m not used to having people over. But make yourself at home.”

While shrugging off her jacket, Eve wandered into the room a little more and let her eyes roam over the quirks and features of the space. She placed her belongings down by the bed before taking a seat atop of the duvet.

“So how come your plans changed?” The woman asked upon exiting the kitchen. “Someone cancel on you?”

“No, not quite. Just a misunderstanding, I thought something was happening today.” Eve shrugged, taking a glass from Villanelle while the other woman seated herself next to Eve.

“Well, something is happening now.” A small smile cracked from Villanelle as she clinked her glass against Eve’s. “Cheers.”

As Villanelle took a drink, Eve watched her intimately. The pair remained in silence for a moment while Eve took in the sight, grabbing Villanelle’s attention as the woman lowered the glass from her lips. “What?” She asked, smiling awkwardly.

“You’re just... You’re interesting.”

“You think so? I always thought I was relatively average.” Villanelle replied.

“You’re very interesting. You’re one of those people you just want to know more about.”

“I see.” Villanelle hummed lowly, taking a drink and eyeing Eve as she did so. “Go on then, what do you want to know?”

“Hmm, what would you be willing to share?”

Villanelle shrugged in response. “I’m a pretty open book.”

“Alright,” Eve began, taking a moment to consider. “Why lingerie?”

“Hm, good question. I mean I’ve always had a thing for fashion and I did some modelling when I was like eighteen or so. The lingerie shoots were always my favourite, I just took a shine to it I guess.”

“You... Wow.”

“Surprising?”

“No, not at all. I mean, you’re gorgeous, it shouldn’t be surprising.”

Villanelle blushes faintly at the compliment, taking a drink to try and distract from the embarrassment evident on her face.

“But you’re like, what, 27? You’ve lived way more of a life than me and you’re almost half my age.”

“Oh, I’m sure that’s not true.” Villanelle leaned forward a little. “Tell me. What’s Eve’s life story?”

Eve seemed a little uneasy at the question. “Uh... There’s not much to tell really. Married at 24, soon to be divorced at 48. Work has pretty much consisted of desk jobs and my social life is fleeting at best.”

The blonde woman’s brows knitted together in confusion. “Divorce?”

“Oh, it’s complicated.”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No, no don’t be sorry. It was mostly a joke anyway.”

There was another pause. “Did you buy that lingerie for him?”

Eve nodded, ashamed at the reality. “I know you spoke about female empowerment and doing nice things for yourself, but-“

“Eve, you don’t have to justify it to me.” Her voice was calm and level, a tentative smile present to ease Eve’s anxieties. “It’s not my business why people buy lingerie. But when you’ve experienced a world like modelling where you have to look a certain way for someone else because someone else says so, I just think it’s important to consider.”

“No, you’re right.” Eve took another drink. “He didn’t really care for it anyway, so it’s not like it’s important. He hardly reacted at all to it, actually.”

“Really?” She tried you hide her surprise, but ultimately failed. It caused her to question who could see Eve like that and ‘not care for it’?

“No, but it’s okay. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t bother you with my marital problems.”

“It’s not okay.” Villanelle said with complete conviction. “You look amazing, Eve. I... The fact he is didn’t even react is incomprehensible to me.”

Eve seemed a little shocked by the outburst, shaking her head and looking down as a disappointed expression appeared. “It’s okay.”

“Hey, here. Look at me.” She prompted gently, shuffling closer as a hand rose to cup Eve’s cheek. Tipping her head upwards, she managed to find Eve’s gaze and hold it. “You’re beautiful. Truly.”

Eve tried it to look away, but the hand tipped her head back up to face Villanelle. “I mean it completely. A beautiful body complimented by a beautiful soul. And I don’t want you to feel unappreciated.”

A shaky breath came between Eve’s lips, noticing Villanelle’s were only mere inches away from hers.

And then the gap closed.

Villanelle pressed her lips to Eve’s, keeping the hand on her cheek. The kiss was soft and sweet, but came as a complete surprise to Eve.

Her instinct was to pull away, startled at the sudden turn.

“Eve, I-“

“I should go.”

“I’m so sorry.” The panic was evident in Villanelle’s voice, but there wasn’t much she could do other than watch as Eve gathered her things.

“It’s fine, you don’t need to worry.” Eve told her, though couldn’t quite make eye contact as she said it.

She disappeared down the staircase not two seconds later, leaving Villanelle a lone once again.

“Fuck.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stan loona
> 
> Twitter/curiouscat: vxllanelle1

_ I’m so sorry. V _

_ You don’t need to be sorry. E _

_ No, I DEFINITELY need to be sorry. V _

_ You really don’t, it’s okay. E _

_ Eve... V _

_ What? E _

_ You haven’t spoken to me in a week. V _

_ ...Haven’t I? E _

_ Well, nine days now. Not that I’m counting. V _

_ It wasn’t on purpose, I’m sorry if I worried you. I guess I’ve just been busy, I don’t know. E _

_ Right. V _

_ ...I get it if you’re uncomfortable now, I would be too. V _

_ Can I swing by the store after work? E _

_ Oh. Sure. Do you need something? V _

_ Yeah I need you to stop freaking out. E _

_ Hey! V _

_ I’m just apprehensive, okay? I don’t exactly have many friends, I don’t want to scare one away. V _

_ You’d consider me a friend? E _

_ You gave me alcohol. As far as I’m concerned, we’re basically besties. V _

_ You’re easy to win over. E _

_ Well, now you know what to do if you’re ever in my position. V _

_ I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll come by at 5:30, okay? E _

_ Sure! Don’t bring wine, I don’t need to make anymore bad choices. V _

_ Something tells me you don’t always need wine to do that. E _

_ Hey! V _

_ God you’re mean today. V _

5:30 rolled around a lot sooner than Villanelle would have liked. The shop had experienced a major rush throughout the day, leaving her little time to think on how she was going to deal with the situation she had created through a mere moment of stupidity.

She still hadn’t quite worked out the motivations for doing what she did. Was it the wine, or a moment of weakness? Or just her general dumbassery?

She’d been kicking herself since it had happened. She had a husband. She didn’t look at Villanelle like that. As far as Villanelle knew, she was straight. And she still kissed her. Why?

Despite these thoughts, Villanelle’s mind wandered further. Did she kiss back? She couldn’t remember? Did it feel like she did? What were her hands doing? Did they reach for Villanelle? Did she lean on at all? She analysed the situation to within an inch of her life looking for the validation she had been seeking over the past week. In reality, she didn’t know. And that was probably for the best. She shouldn’t get her hopes up. Her reaction told Villanelle everything she needed to know.

“Hey.” The chipper voice echoed through the shop to make Eve’s presence known, dragging Villanelle away from her spiralling thoughts and back into the real world.

“Hey, you.”

“Everything okay?” Eve questioned upon approaching the cash desk where Villanelle was positioned as usual.

“Yeah, sorry. I’m just tired, it’s been super busy today.”

“Need a pick me up?” Eve asked before almost flawlessly reaching into her bag and pulling out something wrapped in tinfoil.

Villanelle eyed it up suspiciously. “What’s this?”

“My friend Elena and I made brownies for work, there’s quite a few left.”

“You made them together?” Villanelle asked as she unwrapped the package.

“Yeah, neither of us can really cook alone. So we figured we might stand a chance if we try together.”

“That’s sweet.” She hummed, taking a bite. “Have you tried them?”

“No, not yet! We were gonna save them for tonight.” Eve told her, seeing the colour drain from Villanelle’s face as her jaw stilled and tensed.

“Did you... Did you add salt to these?”

“Yeah, it said add some salt on top to balance out the sweetness.”

Villanelle nodded, forcing down the bite. “I think there might have been a little much.”

“Right.” Eve said, visibly disappointed. “It didn’t say how much. I’m guessing not a teaspoon.”

“Definitely not.” Villanelle choked out, downing some water in an attempt to lessen the severity of the taste on her tongue. “It’s good for a first try though.”

“You don’t have to be nice. I’ve never really been a good cook.”

“I mean, the rest of it is good.” Villanelle commented as she picked at the bottom to counter Eve’s clear disappointment.

“We’ll try again tonight. At least that explains why there’s so many left.”

Villanelle nodded. “Are you spending the night at hers or something?”

“Yeah, I have been the past few days.” A confused expression appeared on Villanelle’s face. Before she could response, Eve continued. “My husband and I are taking a break from each other. Like a full on break.”

The confusion shifted to shock, her jaw dropping and eyes widening a little in spite of her attempts to act casual. “Oh. I’m sorry.”

Eve just shrugged, eyes wandering down to her hand which was now feeling the absence of her wedding ring. Villanelle’s eyes followed, noticing the change. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Maybe later. It’s not a big deal, don’t worry about it.”

As nervous as it made her, she didn’t push the issue. “Well, you can always call if you need me, okay?”

Eve smiles warmly at the gesture. “Thank you. I’m okay, Elena’s keeping me busy. She joked about going out at the weekend and finding me a hookup with a random guy, so it sounds like she’s not going to let me mope much.”

Villanelle nodded, the gentle smile contrasting against the snap of her heart at the latter part of the sentence. At the thought of Eve with another person, especially when Villanelle was right there. “Good, it’s what you deserve.” She told her, attempting to brush away the ache gnawing at her heart.

She wasn’t interested. She knew it deep down, but it was different hearing it. There was always a little part of her that clung to the unrealistic hope, just a tiny bit. And every time Eve reaffirmed her lack of interest, the hope crumbled along with her breaking heart.

“I should get going, I don’t want to keep you here.”Eve told her, cutting the visit shorter than she would have liked. But she sensed a slight change in Villanelle’s mood. She didn’t want to aggravate the situation. “Take care of yourself, yeah?”

“Of course. You too.” Villanelle told the woman, forcing a smile as they said their goodbyes once more. Over a week of waiting to see the woman and for what? To get hurt once again?

She needed to stop doing this to herself.

Villanelle made the executive decision to close the shop up a little early. On what grounds? Because she could. And she was sad. Mental health is important, after all.

Villanelle had just finished cashing up for the day and proceeded then to gather her belongings which had been scattered throughout the shop during the work day Once she had what she needed, the woman moved to the door to lock up.

While walking back, she noted a buzzing coming from her bag. With a heavy sigh, she retrieved her phone to see a message lighting up the screen.

_ Are you busy this weekend? We should go out, just the two of us. E _

She wasn’t doing this again. She refused to get her hopes up only to be hurt again. It wasn’t good. It wasn’t healthy. It wasn’t what Villanelle needed right now.  



	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI HELLO ITS ME AGAIN SORRY FOR DISAPPEARING INTO THE ABYSS HOPE YOU LIKE IT
> 
> (Btw my twitter account got suspended for no reason so if you’d like to pls follow me on my new account @vxllanelle11)

_ Are you almost here? E _

There was a noticeable pause between the texts.

_ Yeah, almost. V _

She replied, definitely sat on her bed and definitely nowhere near where she needed to be. The phone fell to her side on the bed as the woman crashed backwards onto the duvet, her eyes drawing closed in an attempt to lie down and think things through properly.

Was this a good idea? The answer was obvious. But was it really that bad of an idea? The rational part of herself, however little remained, knew this would only make things worse.

Could she back out now? Eve would be mad. But would it matter when Villanelle shouldn’t really be speaking to Eve in the first place? Another buzz prompted Villanelle to pick up the phone.

_ I’m excited to see you. E _

“Damn it.” The woman sighed, already feeling her hopes pick up at the sentiment. She had her answer.

_ I’ve had to run back home to grab something, but I should be there soon. Wait for me inside! V _

***

“Hey, where are you?” 

“I’m sat at a table in the back corner, can you see me?”

Villanelle’s brows furrowed at the response, noting the slight slurring of Eve’s words. She was already down a drink or two. The blonde managed to squeeze her way through a forming crowd to find a silhouette clearly belonging to Eve.

“Yeah, I got you. Gimme a second.” She hung up on the conversation as she made her way over to the figure. As Eve’s features became more apparent under the dim lights, Villanelle received the confirmation she needed that this was indeed a bad idea.

Villanelle’s eyes fixed on the dress first. Red and long with a slit for one leg to peek out of, complemented by a pair of black high heels and a small black bag. Her hair remained in its natural state, lively but sleek. Her face was painted with a few hints of make up, just enough to accentuate the natural beauty already present.

“Wow,” Villanelle breathed, unable to stop the word before it tumbled out into the open. “I feel kind of underdressed now.” She joked, gesturing down to her outfit which consisted of black skinny jeans, black boots, a navy blue blouse tucked into the jeans, and finished off with a black leather jacket as well as her hair being pulled back into a low bun.

“No, no. You look gorgeous.” Eve told the blonde as she took her seat next to Eve. “I felt the need to dress up a little, it’s been a while since I’ve been out anywhere.”

“I mean, you didn’t disappoint.” She said before mentally scalding herself for being too forward. “Anyway, how was your day?”

Villanelle wouldn’t have pinned Eve as a big drinker before this evening. As the night passed, Eve managed to easily surpass Villanelle’s limit and keep going, all while staying sober enough to keep up with the conversation.

“You know, if you keep going like you are, you’re gonna drink this place dry.” Villanelle joked, smiling when she saw a small giggle erupt from Eve. “Is everything okay? You’re not drinking because you, like, sad or anything, right?”

“No, god no.” Eve told her, watching as Villanelle leaned in closer to listen in better over the music. “I’m not a sad drinker.”

“Well what sort of drinker are you?”

“I’m a courage drinker. I drink to make myself not scared anymore.”

Villanelle giggled again at that, keeping in close as her eyes wandered up to meet Eve’s. “What does that even mean?”

“It means,” Eve began, face dropping to become an ounce more serious than previously. “I drink so I’m brave enough to do reckless shit like this.”

Villanelle didn’t have time to react before she recognised the feeling of Eve’s lips against hers. Eyes wide with shock soon drew closed as the tension released from Villanelle’s muscles, melting into Eve’s kiss.

A curious hand ran up Villanelle’s thigh, causing the woman to gasp under the contact. She reciprocated by sliding her hand up to cup Eve’s cheek as she felt the woman’s hand come to settle at the top of her thigh.

It took a few more moments before they pulled back, mouths draped open as short puffs of breath came out into the atmosphere. Eve was the first to break. “Can we go back to your place?”

“Oh, I...” Villanelle began, losing her train of thought pretty quickly as her brain attempted to catch up with what had just happened. “Eve, you’re drunk. I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“I want this.” She answered firmly. “I told you, the only reason I drank so much was because I’m too scared to make a move otherwise.” The hand on Villanelle’s thigh inched up just a little further. “Please.”

“Shit,” Villanelle sighed out, any rational thoughts having already left long ago. “Grab your stuff.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember the ‘eventual smut’ tag on this fic? It’s no longer eventual.
> 
> I would like to dedicate this chapter to my dear Fixy (@fixyfics) and her tweets about ‘Why does [smut] always have to be penetration y’know. Why can’t sometimes it just be good old fashioned clit fun.’ (There’s no vibes this time, but I’ll make it happen 👀)
> 
> Twitter: @vxllanelle11 (new acc, pls go follow, currently following everyone back bc I need moots the TL is ✨dry✨)

“I don’t know what I’m doing.” The admission caught Villanelle by surprise, though she wasn’t entirely sure why. 

“That’s okay.” She reassured, eyes traipsing over the body laid out atop of her sheets. She stood by the bed and hung her leather jacket up. “I can take the lead.”

Eve’s eyes remained fixed on the other woman as she took her place beside Eve on the bed. Villanelle didn’t make a move, clearly catching onto the fact Eve was watching so cautiously close. “We don’t have to do anything,” Villanelle reassured again, keeping a little distance between the two. “If you’re not comfortable yet, I understand.”

“No, I want to, I just...” Eve propped herself up while taking a moment to think through her words. “Can we take it slow?”

A small grin cracked across Villanelle’s previously concerned expression, prompting a small nod. “Of course we can.” She muttered, eyes flicking down to catch Eve’s lips. “Can I kiss you?”

Eve didn’t answer, instead just moved in to close the gap. The kiss had softened considerably from the adrenaline fulled move Eve had previously made at the bar. The same desperation still lingered, though. And Eve found her hand running up Villanelle’s side.

“Is this okay?” Villanelle breathed against Eve’s mouth, going to reciprocate the gesture by settling a hand on Eve’s hip when she got a small nod from the other woman. Eve’s hand had shifted upwards towards the top half of Villanelle’s body, settling again at her blouse while tender kisses continued to be exchanged between the pair. “Can I?” Eve asked shyly, fingers fiddling with a button hesitantly.

“Of course.” The words were low and breathy. She took the opportunity to pull back from Eve and watch as the other woman shakily began to unbutton her shirt. Sat underneath the sheer material waiting for Eve was a set of turquoise lingerie. Not that she was expecting anything to happen, but just in case it did, she had made sure to pick out something nice. Though the thought initially had only been some fleeting wishful thinking.

Villanelle sat up as her shirt fell open so she could slip it off, dropping it off the side of the bed as Eve watched intently, almost afraid to miss something.

“You can touch me if you want.” Villanelle said upon noticing a hint of doubt on where to go next. Eve didn’t move at first, still unsure. So Villanelle took Eve’s hand in her own and brought it up towards her chest. She placed the hand over her breast before Villanelle leaned in a little closer to Eve, nuzzling into the crook of the brunette’s neck. As Eve’s hand began to move, Villanelle pressed soft kisses down Eve’s neck, ensuring to take the chance to let out a small whimper right next to Eve’s ear.

“Can I touch you baby?” Villanelle whispered, waiting for an eager nod before slipping a hand onto the inside of Eve’s thigh through the slit in her dress. Her breath hitched and muscles tensed under the anticipation as Villanelle’s hand travelled further up. Once her hand reached the fabric of Eve’s underwear, she went to move it aside, only for Eve to begin working them off before she even had the chance.

“Someone’s eager.” Villanelle joked in a low voice as her hand returned to the same position. She drew her fingers up through the dampness between Eve’s legs, unintentionally letting out a small moan as she felt just how wet Eve already was. ”Like this?” Villanelle’s fingers began to move over Eve’s clit, with the short gasp and closing eyes providing any answers Villanelle had previously been looking for.

Eve’s teeth sank into her lower lip, taking in the feeling of Villanelle’s hand working with her body in just the right way, so effortlessly attentive and kind to Eve’s needs.

She felt her breath quicken just a little as that familiar sensation began to rise into Eve’s core a lot sooner than she had anticipated.

Villanelle’s eyes fixed on Eve’s torso, watching it rise and fall with every breath and eventually become more shallow as Eve felt the pleasure begin to build steadily. Villanelle pressed a few kisses to the inside of her thighs.

“Oh, god.” Eve sighed, eventually looking down so her eyes met with Villanelle’s. Villanelle held the contact for a moment as her fingers began to gently speed up, prompting another desperate whimper from the brunette.

“Tell me what you want, Eve.” She asked, feeling Eve’s body begin to tense up and her breaths become more ragged. “I wanna make you feel good.”

“J-Just keep going, please.” Which she did, eyes still fixed on the woman below her as her hand picked up some more speed.

Eve made another attempt to speak, only for her words to be cut off by a small whimper. “M’close, keep going.” She managed to pant out while her hands gripped at the sheets hard enough for her knuckles to flush white.

Villanelle managed to adjust her position and move back up the bed, hand still working between Eve’s thighs. Her mouth found Eve’s neck once again, her kisses now hardening to leave a couple of small bruises on the exposed skin.

Eve’s arm wound around Villanelle’s middle to pull her in closer, body stiffening as a broken moan came from Eve. “Keep going, keep- oh god.” Eve’s voice dropped away for a couple of seconds, grip tightening on Villanelle with her muscles tensing up completely right as her orgasm hit.

She let out a couple of breathy sighs while her body relaxed against the other woman’s, taking another moment before she pulled back and her eyes shyly found Villanelle’s.

Villanelle’s hand drew back a moment later, feeling Eve grow a little more sensitive under the touch. Eve leaned in a little to press a lazy kiss to Villanelle’s lips, a hand running down the blonde’s side before resting on her hip.

“I wanna do something to you.” She told her after catching her breath, starting to pull away from the kiss. “I don’t... I’m just not really sure.”

“It’s okay.” Villanelle told Eve in a low tone. “Just think about what you like. And I’ll tell you if you need to do anything different, okay?”

Eve nodded, taking another moment to consider before she moved, pressing kisses from Villanelle’s neck and jawline all the way down her chest and stomach. A cautionary glance was thrown up to Villanelle as a hand flicked the button of her jeans undone, continuing to pull down the zipper and tug them down when she was sure.

Villanelle helped to get the jeans off, leaving her in just the lacy lingerie, the bright colours pressed flush against her pale skin.

“You’re gorgeous.” Eve told her, while fully aware that Villanelle didn’t need to be told. Before Villanelle had any chance to respond, Eve’s nervous hand was trailing up Villanelle’s thigh.

“You don’t have to do anything if you do my want to.” Villanelle reassured yet again, sensing Eve’s nerves, but the other woman just shook her head. A couple of her fingers hooked under the band of Villanelle’s underwear, proceeding to slip them off with some assistance from the other woman. A couple more kisses trailed down Villanelle’s stomach, prompting the woman to spread her legs a little wider as Eve continued downwards. Villanelle’s head fell backwards a little with her eyes shutting upon feeling Eve’s tongue trail up the length of her wetness before settling at her clit.

Villanelle’s eyes drew closed under the sensation, a hand finding its way down and working into Eve’s hair. “That’s it, right there baby.” She sighed, teeth digging into her lower lip. “Go a little softer, Evie.”

Eve’s eyes opened to look up at Villanelle, trying to be a little gentler and enjoying the little whines that came after the adjustment.

“That’s it, good girl.” Villanelle told her, fingers winding back through Eve’s curls allowing her to tug a little at the strands. “Just like that, keep going.”

Eve took the encouragement, speeding up just a fraction. Her hands were resting on Villanelle’s thighs, gripping at the skin in an attempt to keep the blonde still.

“God, you’re so good baby.” Villanelle sighed, head now back agains the pillows with her eyes squeezed shut. One hand remained in Eve’s hair while the other teased at her chest atop of the bra she still had on. “Just a little quicker baby.”

Eve sped up some more, holding onto Villanelle’s thighs tighter as the woman’s body began to tense. “Fuck,” she whimpered, followed by a breathy sigh. “You’re so good baby, keep going.”

Eve couldn’t help but let out a small moan at the praise, feeling another sharp tug at her hair followed by a high pitched moan.

“Fuck, I’m so close. Keep going baby.” The words came out in a whisper as Eve moved her hands down, attempting to still Villanelle’s jittering hips.

An attempt at speech was made by Villanelle, but it only resulted in a few incoherent rambles and breathy whimpers as her grip on Eve’s hair tightened more. A moment later, Eve felt Villanelle’s body still under her touch, back arching and a broken moan making itself known to the room. She tried to hold her down to work the woman through her orgasm, but Villanelle didn’t make it easy.

“Oh god,” Villanelle sighed, pushing the other woman away slightly as the stimulation became a little too much. Eve got the message and knelt up on the bed as the pair shared a shy glance.

“Your face is so red.” Eve hummed, seeing a smile break on Villanelle’s face at the statement.

“Yeah, I’m not surprised.” Villanelle sat up, reaching around the back to unclip her bra to leave herself fully exposed. “C’mon, come get in.” She told Eve, slipping under the duvet.

Eve nodded at the prompt, though followed Villanelle’s lead and decided to take off the rest of her clothes first. Tucking herself under the duvet, she felt warm arms greet her and pull her in close against Villanelle.

The couple shared a few moments of silence, bar some heavy breaths from Villanelle and Eve’s thumping heart. Their legs tangled together as Eve’s head found a spot to rest on Villanelle’s chest.

“So how was it?” A voice asked, pulling Eve away from almost falling asleep.

“It was... A lot.”

“In a good way, or a bad way?” She asked, stroking a comforting hand through Eve’s curls.

“No, good. Very good.” There was another pause. “Did it like... Feel good for you?”

“Is that your way of asking if I finished?”

“...Maybe.”

“Well, I did,” Villanelle reassured. “And it felt amazing. You did so good.” She pressed a tender kiss into Eve’s hair while a hand stroked up and down the woman’s side.

Eve just nodded as her eyes closed once again, listening in to Villanelle’s heartbeat.

“You tired?” She asked, though the lack of response indicated she had already fallen asleep. With a bemused smile, Villanelle carefully reached across to flick off the bedside lamp before settling in next to the woman.

“Goodnight, Evie.”


	12. Chapter 12

Eve first noticed her sense of touch when she woke up. Though her eyes weren’t open yet and her brain hadn’t begun to recognise the idle noises of London outside, she felt the bed beneath her. The duvet covering her. The warm body pressed against hers. Another moment and she remembered who that body was. She settled in against the figure, a content smile present on her face.

The next thing she noticed, bar the post-drinking headache she could feel forming, came with her eyes finally cracking open. It took a moment before she recognised the room as belonging to Villanelle, but familiarity began to fill Eve pretty soon.

She noticed a twitch by her torso, looking down with sleep-ladened eyes to find an arm loosely wrapped around her middle. She turned gentle as to not disturb the sleeping figure next to her, settling back down with her head resting against Villanelle’s chest, catching a few precious minutes of extra sleep with the other woman.

When she woke up a second time, she felt an odd sensation. Almost like a pulling on her eyelid?

Her eyes opened, startled, to find Villanelle at eye level kneeling on the floor by the bed. “Good morning.” She greeted, showing Eve something white in her hand that the woman could barley make out after having just woken up. “You fell asleep with your make up on, I was trying to get it off. Protect your skin and all.”

“Oh, thank you.” She mumbled, voice still groggy with sleep. At least it wouldn’t give away how touched she was by the small bit caring gesture. “What time is it?”

“Nearly 10:30. I would’ve made breakfast, but I didn’t know if you’d be a little nauseous after all your drank last night.”

“Your already been far too sweet to me, you don’t have to make me breakfast too.” Eve told her, watching as Villanelle stood to throw the soiled make-up wipes away. “Though you do have to get back into bed and cuddle back up to me.”

Villanelle giggled at the request, taking no time to consider as she shed her robe and moved back into her original position in the bed. “I assume you’re lazy on the weekends.”

“What makes you say that?”

“It’s 10:30am and you’re not up yet.”

“Oh god, if 10:30am is late for you, I’m definitely lazy.”

“I’m used to waking up at like 6am to get stuff done before opening the shop.”

Eve’s brows furrowed at the point. “Yeah, what’s happening with the shop today?”

“I talked to the girls, they’re going to take care of it. They said I deserved the day off, anyway. It’s like my first one this year.”

“An early bird AND a workaholic. It’s a wonder we’re alike at all.”

“And I can actually cook.”

Eve shot her a cautious glance, about to argue her innocence before remembering the brownies. “That was one time.”

“Yeah, okay baby.” Villanelle teased, kissing the top of her head as her arms tightened around the other woman.

“I haven’t been called that in a while.” Eve’s eyes met Villanelle’s. “I like it. I forgot how nice it feels.”

“I’ll try out a few more names on you today... Speaking of, what do you want to do today?”

“You mean we have to do something other than lay in bed all day? Gross.”

“Not if you don’t want to.” Villanelle pressed a few more kisses into Eve’s hair.

“No, I could probably do with a shower or something.” She said, though it didn’t prompt her to move.

“You can steal some of my clothes if you don’t want to wear last night’s outfit.”

“How thoughtful.” Eve finally sat up on the bed, a little more self conscious of her bare figure now the alcohol had worn off. She stood and made her way over to the bathroom, grabbing a towel before flicking on the shower.

***

“What’s all that?” Eve asked upon her exit from the small bathroom, nodding over to the bag of various materials in the corner of her room.

“Just old stock. Things we stopped selling or stuff that got ripped. I keep meaning to take them to be recycled, but I just don’t have time.” She watched as Eve eyed up the bag, amused by her curiosity. “If you see anything in your size, you’re free to take it.”

“I don’t think I’m confident enough for that. Seems kinda scary.” She said while pulling the towel tighter around her body.

“Scary isn’t always bad.” Villanelle got up from the bed and moved over to the bag, taking a few minutes to rummage through the assortment of fabric to pick out a few pieces while Eve just stood there watching. “Do you like these? They should all fit you.”

“I mean... They’re pretty. I think they’re too pretty for me, though.”

“Come on.” Villanelle handed the small bundle of clothes off to Eve. “I’m here to push you out of your comfort zone. Try them on and I’ll give you my expert opinion. But just know, my expert opinion is never going to be ‘you’re not pretty enough for these’ because that’s bullshit.” Eve seemed unsure, so Villanelle continued. “No ones going to see you except me. You don’t even have to take it home, you can leave it here for when you next come over.”

“Oh, so I’m already moving in?”

“Go, stop trying to change the subject. Try the lilac ones first.” Villanelle moves across the room to sit back on her bed, flicking through a couple of apps on her phone to distract herself so Eve wouldn’t feel an uncomfortable pair of eyes on her as she changed. She gave it a few minutes before seeing Eve still out of the corner of her eye, finally looking up.

“I like it.” Eve commented nervously, tugging at the lace bra to position the material correctly.

“The colour really suits you. Is it comfortable?”

“Yeah, surprisingly.” Eve’s gaze caught sight of herself in the mirror, taking a moment to look herself over. It was probably the first time in a long while that she could actually look at herself without her first thought being something negative. “What next?” She asked, spurred on by the sudden confidence boost.

“Oh, uh... Try the dark blue.” Villanelle suggested, handing her the set. Eve changed and Villanelle’s attention went back to the small device resting in her hands, looking back up after a few moments.

“I don’t think I like this one as much.”

“No?”

“No, not really.” Eve sighed. “The colour is nice, but I don’t like the feeling of the satin. I don’t know, maybe I could get used to it.”

“I mean, it’s important you’re comfortable too. If it doesn’t feel good, don’t force yourself to wear it.” Eve nodded, Villanelle continued. “Try the last one.”

Eve grabbed the last set, made of a dark red material covered in some intricate black lace patterns. Villanelle didn’t turn away this time. She tried not to look too much, but her eyes couldn’t help but fix on the delicate curves of her body as the woman moved. “You’re really beautiful, you know.” She told Eve before the woman even had the chance to put the lingerie on.

“You’re silly.” Eve replied as she clipped the bra closed, clearly flustered under Villanelle’s words. She caught another look at herself in the mirror, a small grin cracking across her face before she could help herself. “Oh, I love this one.”

“I can tell.” Villanelle told Eve, eyes still fixed on the woman’s petite figure. “It’s nice to see you feeling good about yourself.”

“You’re going to think I’ve got too much of an ego soon.”

“Not at all.” Villanelle reached out and took Eve’s hand, tugging a little to signal for Eve to come over to the bed. “It looks gorgeous on you, you should know it.”

Eve didn’t respond, instead just pressing her lips to Villanelle’s and giving a small, content hum when she felt Villanelle’s hand cup her cheek. “Would I look just as gorgeous with it off?” She asked, cocking a suggestive eyebrow as she smirked.


End file.
